Elsewhere A Novel
“Elsewhere: A Novel” by Alexis Schaitkin, published by Celadon Books on June 28, 2022, is a thought-provoking exploration of a unique community where the roles of women are intertwined with a haunting mystery. This 226-page novel delves into the lives of girls who transition into wives and mothers, all while grappling with the unsettling reality that some mothers inexplicably vanish into the clouds. Set against a backdrop of a small, isolated town, the narrative captures the tension between tradition and the individual experiences of its female characters.
Readers will find a richly emotive story that examines themes of motherhood, identity, and societal expectations. As Vera, the protagonist, approaches adulthood, she and her peers speculate about their fates, each contemplating the possibility of disappearance as they navigate the complexities of motherhood. The novel invites reflection on the pressures women face and the profound impact of their choices, making it a compelling addition to discussions around feminist fiction and coming-of-age narratives.
Official synopsis Publisher
Richly emotive and darkly captivating, with elements of Shirley Jackson’s “The Lottery” and the imaginative depth of Margaret Atwood, Elsewhere by Alexis Schaitkin conjures a community in which girls become wives, wives become mothers and some of them, quite simply, disappear.
Vera grows up in a small town, removed and isolated, pressed up against the mountains, cloud-covered and damp year-round. This town, fiercely protective, brutal and unforgiving in its adherence to tradition, faces a singular affliction: some mothers vanish, disappearing into the clouds. It is the exquisite pain and intrinsic beauty of their lives; it sets them apart from people elsewhere and gives them meaning.
Vera, a young girl when her mother went, is on the cusp of adulthood herself. As her peers begin to marry and become mothers, they speculate about who might be the first to go, each wondering about her own fate. Reveling in their gossip, they witness each other in motherhood, waiting for signs: this one devotes herself to her child too much, this one not enough—that must surely draw the affliction’s gaze. When motherhood comes for Vera, she is faced with the question: will she be able to stay and mother her beloved child, or will she disappear?
Provocative and hypnotic, Alexis Schaitkin’s Elsewhere is at once a spellbinding revelation and a rumination on the mysterious task of motherhood and all the ways in which a woman can lose herself to it; the self-monitoring and judgment, the doubts and unknowns, and the legacy she leaves behind.
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